Packing mechanism for folding-machines.



PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

. c. A. STURTEVANT. v PAGKING MECHANISM FOR FOLDING MAGHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1906. l

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PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908,

. G. A. STURTEVANT. PACKING MECHANISM FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1906.

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THE NQRRIS PETERS c No. 879,841. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. G. A. STURTEVANT.

PACKING MECHANISM FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

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THE NORRIS PETERS co.. WASHINGTON. DJ;

No. 879,841. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

. G. A. STURTEVANT.

MECHANISM FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

v PACKING 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

APPLICATION FILED, MAY 22. 1906.

No. 879,841. PATENTED-FEB. 18, 1908. U. A STURTEVANT. PACKING MECHANISM FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

s SHEETS SHBET 5 APPLICATION IILED MAY 22. 1906.

lav-W110i" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. STURTEVANT, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO E. C. FULLER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PACKING MECHANISM FOR FOLDING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Original application filed January 23, 1905. Serial No. 242.273- Divided and this application filed May 22. 1906. Serial No. 318.175.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. STURTE- VANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Packing Mechanism for Folding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a folding machine capable of folding a sheet of paper or the like into a signature having one or more parallel or right angle folds, but some of the features are also applicable to other types of folding machines.

The objects of this invention are to improve the means whereby one of the stacker boxes may be adjusted to suit different sizes of signatures independent of the other stackers and also to improve and to simplify the means for operating a plurality of packers.

This is a subdivision of an application on which Letters Patent of the United States were granted July 3, 1906, and numbered 824,754.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 5 sheets: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sheet folding machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detached horizontal sectional view of the mechanism for operating a plurality of packers. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, taken in line 33, Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sections taken on the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of one of the folding and stacking devices taken in line 66, Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section, on an enlarged scale, in line 77, Fig. 4, showing the box elevating mechanism of the last mentioned stacking device. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section in line 88, Fig. 7.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In its general organization, this folding machine consists of a main frame A, a feed board or table (1 arranged at the front end of the frame and adapted to support the pile of sheets to be folded'into signatures, a first pair of folding rollers b, 5 arranged in the upper part of the frame in rear of-the table and adapted to produce the first fold in the sheet, a second pair of folding rollers c, 0 arranged at right angles to the first pair and receiving the sheet therefrom, a, third pair of folding rollers d, d arranged parallel to the first pair and receiving the sheet from the second pair, a fourth pair of book folding rollers e, 6 arranged parallel to the second pair and receiving the sheet from the third pair of book rollers, a third pair of )eriodical folding rollers f, 1 arranged para el to the first pair and receiving the sheets from the second pair, a fourth pair of periodical folding rollers g, arranged parallel to the third pair of periodical rollers f, f and receiving the sheets therefrom, and a fourth pair of periodical folding rollers h, h arranged parallel to the second pair. These several pairs of rollers are all arranged horizontally, the first pair being arranged lengthwise in the upper part of the frame, the second pair in front of the first, the third pair of book rollers d, d and the third pair of periodical rollers f, f being arranged parallel to the first and on opposite sides of the second pair, the fourth periodical rollers g, being in rear of the third pair f, f and the fourth periodical rollers h, k being to the left of the third periodical rollers f Each pair of these rollers may be driven in any suitable manner from the horizontal driving shaft I which is journaled transversely in the frame.

The sheet propelling mechanism comprises a set of tapes B which carry the sheets from the feed board to the first rollers, a set of tapes 0 which carry the sheets from the first to the second rollers, a single set of tapes D which carry the sheets from the second rollers either to the fourth periodical rollers h, k or to the third book rollers d, d or the third periodical rollers f, f a set of tapes E which carry the sheets from the third book rollers d, d to the fourth book rollers e, 6 and a set of tapes F which carry the sheets from the third periodical rollers f, f to the fourth periodical rollers g, 9

The first tapes B pass at their receiving and delivery ends around receiving and delivery rollers b b the second tapes O pass at their receiving and delivery ends around the roller 5 of the first pair and around tightener rollers I), the third tapes D pass transversely underneath the second rollers and lengthwise of both pairs of third rollers Which are parallel to the first and at one end around the roller h of the fourth pair parallel toithe second-while their opposite ends pass around guideirollersi d on the main frame, the book tapes E passgatgtheir front and rear ends around receiving and delivery rollers 0 c and the periodical tapes .F pass at one end around the roller 9 and at the opposite end around a roller f 2 while the intermediate portions of the same pass over the roller f and underneath the roller f, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

KK are the several folding blades which cooperate with the folding rollers of the first pair, second pair, third book pair, fourth book pair, third periodical pair parallel to the first, fourth periodical pair parallel to the second and the fourth periodical pair parallel to the first, respectively, each blade being arranged above its respective pair of rollers and movable vertically toward and from the space between the same. Each of these folding blades is mounted on the free ends of one or more rock arms k which are secured to a horizontal rock shaft k which is ournaled in bearings on the frame.

When it is desired to produce a periodical signature having one longitudinal fold and two successive parallel folds, the sheet is passed through the first rollers, the second rollers and the fourth rollers parallel to the second. Upon passing the sheet successively through the first rollers, the second rollers, the third periodical rollers parallel to the first, and the fourth periodical rollers parallel to the third periodical rollers, the

sheet will be folded accordingly suitable for periodicals. If it is desired to produce a book signature having one transverse fold and two longitudinal folds, the sheet is passed successively through the first rollers, the second rollers and the third book rollers (1,61 Additional folds parallel to the first and second may be produced in the book signature by passing the sheet as it issues from the second rollers through the third and fourth book rollers (1, d 6, e

When folding a book signature the tapes over the two-third pairs of rollers (Z, (P, f, f are moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, whereby the sheet upon issuing from the second rollers will be carried over the third book rollers. If however the sheet is to be folded into the form of a periodical signature,

from the second rollers over the third book rollers, the forward movement of the same in that direction is arrested by a gage (1 A similar gage f shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, is provided when the sheet is to be carried from the second rollers to the third periodical rollers which are parallel to the first. If however the sheet is to be carried directly from the second rollers to the fourth periodical rollers h, h then the gage f 8 is removed permitting the sheet to move forward to the gage b in position to be folded by the blade K and rollers h, M.

For the purpose of enabling the machine to be set so as to direct the sheet from the second rollerseither toward the book rollers or the periodical rollers which are arranged on opposite sides thereof, a switch mechanism is provided which consists essentially of a plurality of switch or deflector rollers N which are arranged between the lower opposing parts of the cooperating second rollers. These deflector rollers are mounted upon a rocking support which permits the same to be swung into engagement with the lower side of either of the second rollers c, c and which consists of upright rock arms n carrying the deflector or switch rollers, and the rock shaft n to which the lower ends of the rock arms are secured. Upon rocking the shaft in the direction for engaging the deflector rollers N with the folding roller 0, as shown in Fig. 3, the sheet issuing from the undersides of the second rollers will be directed by the deflecting rollers underneath the roller 0 of said pair causing the same to be carried to the third book rollers by the tapes D which are moving in that direction. Upon turning the rock shaft n so as to carry the deflector rollers against the folding roller 0 the sheet passing downwardly between the two rollers c, 0 will be directed around the underside of the roller 0 toward the periodical folding rollers in which direction the same will be carried by employing the proper gearing for causing the tapes D to move in that direction.

For the purpose of causing the sheet upon issuing from the underside of the third book rollers to be discharged either into a stacker boX below the same or to the fourth book folding rollers e, e .for producing another fold in the same, the rollers e which carry the receiving ends of the back tapes E are adjustably supported so as to be bodily movable into and out of the path of the sheets as they issue from the third book folding rollers d, (1 When it is desired to discharge the completed signature directly downward from the third book rollers, the tape rollers e are withdrawn inwardly or out of the path of the signature as the same issues from the underside of the third book rollers, as represented'in Fig. 4. When it is desired to direct the sheets from the third book rollers to the fourth book rollers, the tape rollers e are moved outwardly and upwardly into the space between the lower parts of the third book rollers, thereby causing the same to intercept the sheet issuing from these rollers and direct the same to the fourth book rollers.

The improved means for stacking or piling the folded signatures as they issue downwardly from the several final folding rollers,

1 folding rollers'into the boxes.

11. as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

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are constructed as follows: U, U U U represent the receiving or packing boxes of the several stacking devices which are arranged respectively below the third book rollers d, (P, the fourth book rollers 6, 6 the fourth periodical rollers h, 7&1 which are parallel to the second, and the fourth periodical rollers g, g which are parallel to the first. These boxes are arranged to open outwardly from four sides of the machine. u, u of, 11 represent the packers which are movable horizontally lengthwise in these boxes and operate to push the signatures forwardly in the same after being delivered by the respective Each of the packers u, 4.4 a is guided by means of a pair of sliding rods u to which the packer is secured and which are guided in the slotted central part of the respective box by guides The packer 'u} is secured to a single horizontal slide rod u which moves lengthwise of the box U and supported in guides 11. secured to the lower side thereof, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

' V represents an upright packer or rock shaft from which all of the packers of the several stacking devices are simultaneously operated. This shaft is journaled in the adjacent part of the main frame and is actuated by means of a cam 12 arranged on the cam shaft 1 a rock arm v connected with the packer shaft and a slide 0 connected at one end by a link 12 with the rock arm 0 and provided at its opposite end with a roller which engages with a groove in the cam 12.

The packer u is operated from the packer shaft by a rod or link to connected at one end with a rock arm to on the packer shaft while its opposite end is pivotally connected with the guide rods of said packer u, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. A similar rod or link 11) connects the guide rods of the packer a with a rock arm w on the packer shaft for operating this packer, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5. Motion is transmitted from the packer shaft to the packer a by a rock lever 4.0 pivoted on the adjacent part of the frame, a link or rod connecting one arm of this lever with the guide rods of the packer a and a link or rod w connecting the other arm of said lever with a rock arm to on the packer shaft. The packer a is operated from the packer shaft by an upright guiding or adjusting rod W which is secured at its upper end to a rock arm w and at its lower end to a ward in their respective boxes, causing the blanks to be stacked in whichever box the same are being delivered. The parts of the machine are so timed that while each packer is retracted into its rearmost position the signatures are fed by the respective folding rollers into the box in front of the packer after which the packer advances and pushes the signature forwardly against the stack in the box. This manner of constructing and operating the packing mechanism of a plurality of stacking devices is very simple in construction and materially reduces the cost of the machine.

The sidewalls a of each of the boxes U, U U are capable of transverse adjustment on the bottoms u thereof for adapting the same to different sizes of signatures, this being effected by means of bolts a passing through angle pieces to on the outer sides of the box walls and through slots 21 in the bottom of these boxes, as shownfor instance in Figs. 1, 3 and 5. These boxes are however not adjustable vertically inasmuch as the signatures which are delivered into the same do not vary sufliciently in size to make this necessary. The box U which receives the signature from the fourth book rollers e, 6 has its sides inclined and it is made vertically adjustable in order to permit of adapting the same for reliably receiving signatures which vary considerably in size. The mechanism for adjusting the height of this box is best shown in Figs. 3-8 and is constructed as follows: X represents a vertical shank or post preferably of tubular form which supports the stacking box U at its upper end. On its outer side this shank carries a vertical gear rack 90 which meshes with. a gear pinion x 00 is a bracket secured to the main frame and provided with a vertical socket 0c in which the shank is guided, and a horizontal bearing m at one side in which the gear pinion 96 is journaled. Upon turning the pinion inone direction or the other, the gear rack together with the shank and box connected therewith are raised or lowered as may-be necessary for adapting the same to the size of signatures which are being delivered into the box. The gear pinion is turned for this purpose by means of a pin or handle 91: which is inserted in one or another of a plurality of annular openings 00 formed in the outer end of the pinion. For the purpose of permitting the stacking box U to be held in position after adjustment the bracket x is split transversely from its guide socket through its bearing, as shown at x and the split parts of the bracket are pressed or clamped against opposite sides of the shank for holding the same in place. The means for this purpose shown in the drawings consist in providing the gear pinion with an inwardly facing shoulder 00 which engages one of the split parts of the bracket, a tie rod or clamping bolt 00 arranged centrally in the gear pinion and secured at one end to the other section of the split bracket, and a clamping nut 90 arranged on the opposite end of the clamping bolt and bearing against the outer end of the gear pinion. Upon tightening this nut the gear pinion is pressed against the adjacent split part of the bracket and the two parts of the latter are drawn against opposite sides of the box supporting shank X, thereby holding all of these parts firmly against movement after being adjusted.

As the stacking box is raised and lowered for adapting the same to different sizes of signatures, the link w of its packer slides up or down on the rod W which is connected with the packer shaft. The operative connection between the packer shaft and the packer of the box U is therefore not disturbed upon raising and lowering the packer box, thereby avoiding the necessity for any separate adjustment for this purpose.

I claim as my invention:

1. A folding machine comprising an upright packer shaft, a plurality of stacking boxes arranged around said shaft and extending horizontally in different directions therefrom, packers movable lengthwise in said boxes, operating connections between said packers and said shaft, one of said connections together with the corresponding packer and box being vertically adjustable relatively to said shaft without disturbing the other connections, packers andboxes, substantially as set forth.

2. A folding machine comprising an upright packer shaft, a plurality of stacking boxes arranged around said shaft and extending horizontally in different directions therefrom, packers movable lengthwise in said boxes, and operating connections between said ackers and said shaft consisting of a plurality of rock arms arranged on said shaft, and rods connecting said arms with said packers, substantially as set forth.

3. A folding machine comprising a plurality of stacking boxes, packers reciprocating horizontally in saidboxes, slides supporting said packers, an upright rock shaft provided with a plurality of rock arms, rods connecting some of said rock arms directly with the slides of some of the packers and a rock lever having one of its arms connected by a rod with one of the rock arms of said shaft while its other arm is connected by a rod with the slide of one of said packers, substantially as set forth.

4. A folding machine comprising a vertically adjustable stacker box, a packerreciproeating in said box, a slide guided on the box and carrying said packer, an upright rock shaft, an upright adjusting bar connected by rock arms with said shaft, and a link pivoted directly at one end on the slide of said packer and'capable of sliding at its 0 posite end on said adjusting bar, substantia ly as set forth.

5. A folding machine comprising a stacker box, an upright shank carrying said box, an

adjusting pinion meshing with a gear rack on the shank, a bracket having a socket in which the shank is guided, a bearing in which the pinion is journaled and a split through said socket and bearing, and a clamping device for drawing the split parts of the bracket together, substantially as set forth.

6. A folding machine comprising a stacker box, a bracket having a socket, a bearing and a split through said socket and bearing, a shank carrying said box and guided in said socket, a gear pinion j ournaled in said bearing and having a shoulder which bears against one of the split parts of said bracket, a gear rack arranged on said shank and meshing with said pinion, a clamping bolt arranged centrally in said pinion and secured at one end to the other split part of said bracket, and a nut arranged on the opposite end of said bolt and bearing against the outer end of said pinion, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 18th day of May, 1906.

CHARLES A. STURTEVANT.

Witnesses:

E. E. BUSH, CHAS. H. BIERLEIN. 

